Money Survival Guide 2012/13

Full-time undergraduate students will not be expected to make an upfront payment of fees but eligible students will be able to access a tuition fee loan. The tuition fee loan is paid directly to Edge Hill University.

If you have already applied for a course starting in academic year 2012/13, you should be able to apply for student finance irrespective of whether you have a confirmed place on a programme.

It is strongly recommended you apply for financial support as early as possible to ensure your application is received in good time.

Visit www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance to apply online. An online calculator will help you work out how much funding you can get.

After you have applied you will be able to manage your own account online. If at any point you need assistance or advice you can easily communicate with an adviser using secure messaging.

Once your application has been assessed, you should receive a Financial Notification Letter that informs you of the support you have applied for and will receive. You will need to provide a copy of this notification at registration at Edge Hill.

If you decide to apply for financial support after you start your course, you must apply no later than nine months after the first day of the academic year of your course. If you have any questions about when and how to apply for financial support, contact our Student Financial Support Team.

Please note, alternative funding arrangements apply for students joining pre-registration health courses in academic year 2012/13.

Students with a disability or specific learning difficulty, who are studying at least 25% of a full-time course, may be able to get a Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA).

To check what support may be offered through the DSA, please visit www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance or speak to our Inclusive Service Team on 01695 584190.

Other supplementary grants may include an Adult Dependants' Grant, Parents' Learning Allowance and Childcare Grant.

The week before you start at Edge Hill, you need to ensure (as far as possible) that you have received your Financial Notification Letter. You will need to bring the original letter to registration and hand in a copy - this is essential to activate your student funding.

You also need to have a bank or building society account into which your funding will be paid and it’s useful to bring some form of photographic ID with you (you never know when you may need it!).

If you have not received your Financial Notification Letter prior to registration, don't panic! It’s easy to check on the progress of your application to find out when you can expect to receive your funding (either by accessing your online account or by contacting Student Finance England).

It's advisable to bring some money with you as an 'emergency fund' to cover basic expenses such as food and travel as if you have been assessed for student funding it can take up to 5-10 working days following enrolment for your student funding to be paid into your account.

If you use your emergency fund before receiving your student loan, please contact a member of the Student Financial Support Team based in the Student Information Centre. You may be offered a short term loan (a loan administered by the Student Financial Support Team as an emergency measure to help with basic living expenses), which you repay when you receive your funding.

There are various ways to help reduce your expenses:

• Council tax - if you are a full-time student you will be sent a Council Tax exemption certificate (in the post) after you have enrolled. Photocopy your certificate and keep this copy in a safe place. You need to send the original to your local Council Tax office, detailing your local term-time address. This will ensure you will not be liable for council tax or your bill may be reduced by 25% whilst at this address.
• Health care - you may be entitled to free prescriptions, dental check-ups and sight tests. To apply, you need to pick up a HC1 form from your dentist, doctor or from the Health Care Unit at our Ormskirk campus. Alternatively, you can request a form from www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts.
• National Union of Students (NUS) Extra card - once you have your UNI Card, you can call into the Students Union at our Ormskirk Campus or go online and purchase your NUS Extra card for just £11. This card can be used to gain many discounts on a variety of purchases, from cinema tickets to clothes and haircuts. Whenever paying for goods and services, always check whether there is a discount with your NUS card.
• Young Person's Railcard - available from any train station, a Young Person's railcard gives you up to a third off many rail journeys. As the Young Person's Railcard is normally only available to 18-25 year olds, if you are 26 or over you will need to prove that you are a full-time student by having your application form validated by Edge Hill.

If you are struggling financially or just want some general advice on managing your money, don't hesitate to contact the Student Financial Support Team.

The Student Financial Support Team can offer:

• Money Doctors sessions offering group and one to one budgeting advice;
• Drop-in sessions to discuss emergency short term loans if your funding is delayed (assessed on an individual basis);
• Interviews for the Access to Learning Fund (a hardship fund for living and course costs or support with unexpected financial crises).

The Student Financial Support Team are located in the Student Information Centre.

You will not have to start repaying the total of your Student Loans (this may be the total of a fee loan and maintenance loan over the length of your course) until the April after you have completed your course and are earning at least £21,000pa, equating to £1,750 per month..

The amount you repay will be linked to your income. Each year you will be expected to repay 9% of your income that is over £21,000 a year. If, for any reason your income falls below this amount, you will not have to make repayments until your income rises above £21,000pa again.

The Student Loans Company will work with HM Revenue and Customs to collect repayments. They will be taken by your employer and shown on your pay statement. If you are self-employed, the repayments will be collected through the tax self-assessment system.

For further information on repayment of Student Loans visit www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk or contact:

• Student Loans Company Limited, 100 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, G2 7JD.
• Tel: 0870 240 6298